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May 23, 2009 – We are off on Air Canada for a two week vacation in Italy, looking forward to seeing some places that we have not seen before, and interested in travelling around again on the European rail system. This time our destination is Italy, and we will be starting off in Rome. Once again, Air Canada gets us there on time and comfortably, as we land in Rome 25 minutes ahead of schedule at 1035 local time on Sunday, May 24. We are met and driven into the city to our hotel, where we unpack and settle in.
Time to explore – the highlight of Rome is definitely the history, and the ruins of the Roman Empire. Fortunately, our accommodation is just a couple of blocks from the Colosseum, and we are able to explore this historic place in detail. Also nearby is the Roman Forum and the other major historic sites. It is quite an experience walking the basalt rock streets where others have walked for over 2000 years.
The weather is very hot and the streets crowded, it is football finals week and there are lots of both English (Manchester United) and Spanish (Barcelona) fans around. (Barcelona won 2-0). Still, we manage to walk the city extensively, tour the Vatican and have some very good meals.
We have a "Rome Pass" for our three days, and use the transit system quite extensively to get around. The buses are crowded most of the time, the Metro (subway) definitely the most efficient, but not air-conditioned and covered in graffiti. A ride on an articulated tram line is enjoyable and we do see the city quite well. Anything we miss – no problem we’ll be back.
May 26, 2009 – we need to validate our Italy Railpasses and decide to do so a day before we need to travel. Good decision, as the process to get the validation stamps involves a line up at Rome’s Stazione Termini for over an hour. The station is very large and busy, as are most European city stations – there are 24 platforms active with trains of all types coming and going.
May 27, 2009 – Time to leave and we taxi to the station where we board our Intercity Train for our first rail journey. The IC 514 goes to Torino; we will travel as far as Grosetto where we will change to a local service bound for Siena. The train has an electric locomotive and ten carriages, we are in first class coach 01 with reserved seats, a real bonus of using the RailPass. The coach has 2 – 1 seating, our seats are in a module of four facing. We depart about 5 minutes late, and are soon skimming along the coast at a good speed. The ride is very pleasant, food and beverage service handled via a coffee cart through the train.
We arrive at Grosetto pretty much on time, and cross the platform to a regional train to Siena. This train has six coaches pushed by a diesel locomotive. This ride is a joy, as we wind through the hills on a single track line, pausing twice for meets with other trains. We arrive at Siena on time and taxi to our accommodation, a delightful small boutique hotel with lovely gardens and a view of the historic city.
Siena is a real highlight, the hilltop village of 60,000 a real contrast to Rome. The narrow streets are quaint and the buildings just like it might have been a few centuries ago. The cathedral (Domula) is one of the most spectacular we have seen, and the food in the small restaurants exquisite.
May 28, 2009 – Off again, on another local regional train to Florence where we will change for our train to Venice. The regional departs at 0818 and we arrive on time at 0945. Here we find our platform and prepare for our Eurostar Italia ride (train 9640). The platform signs direct us to coach 04 – we board and find lovely seats in this modern and sleek red and white train. The consist has locomotive / four first class cars / dining car / seven second class coaches / locomotive. (Photo, page 28)
We are off right on time and this trip is a real surprise. Although we are on a high speed train, the line (very smooth) winds through the hills and mountains in some lovely scenery. Once underway, reservations are taken for lunch – we must try this. We arrive at our reservation time and are seated at a nice table, and proceed to enjoy a multi course meal at a cost of 28 Euros – pasta, main course, salad, dessert – all good food and served "family style" at your table. We arrive on time at Venice St. Lucia station after a great Eurostar Italia experience.
Our Venice accommodation is a little bit out of town, so we change to a regional train for the 20 minute ride to Quarto d’Altino. Our hotel is directly connected to the train station here, so travel in and out of Venice is by train each day. We cope just fine, and experience a variety of regional trains (from the older push-pull single level equipment to new double deck VivAlto trains).
Venice is a delight (this is our second visit here) and we are as enchanted by it as our first time two years ago. Our Venice Card allows us to ride the Vaporettos (Water buses) as much as we need, and we enjoy the city of canals again for our three days there.
Monday, June 1 – Time to leave Venice, so we are back on a regional train from Quarto d’Altino once again to Venice San Lucia station, where we change now to our train to Milan. Train 9712 is called an AVI – a high speed train of ten coaches, with streamlined electric locomotives on each end. We find our seats in coach 02, once again the first class car has two and one seating, we are in a facing set of four seats again. (Photo page 29)
We depart right on time and enjoy the three hour ride through Verona and other points on a quick run to Milan. Here we change again, this time to Intercity Train 653 to La Spezia, on the Italian west coast. This train has compartments, and we find our way to coach 02, compartment 6, where we have three of the six seats. The train has an electric locomotive and ten cars; we
pull out of busy Milan Central station and its huge train shed right on time at 1205. The trip to the coast at Genoa is very pretty, as we travel through mountains and valleys. The speeds are not high, but we cruise along at about 50 mph with tunnel after tunnel – Italy doesn’t build around mountains, they just go through them. Leaving Genoa we then follow the coast south to our destination of Monterosso, one of the Cinque Terre (five coastal towns) where we plan a hike along the coast in a National Park.
The station is crowded, (it is a National holiday tomorrow) and we manage to find a way out and then walk along the coastal path to find our hotel. It is a small boutique type, we get our room and it is a delight, looking right out over the beach and the rail line where it exits a tunnel. (photo)
There seems to be a train every five minutes or so, both freight and passenger. This hotel room is a railfan’s delight!
Cinque Terre is a delight, and we do manage the hike along the mountainous coast between the five villages. It is a tourist mecca, and with the national holiday the first couple of days are very crowded. The trains provide a great service for the tourists and hikers, providing transportation for just 1.25 Euros between the villages. However, the entire route – even one of the five stations – is in tunnels, with only very brief glimpses of the sea. A better option for photographers is the fleet of boats which also connect the harbours of the five villages.
Thursday, June 4 – back to Rome. The last leg of our Tren Italia journey. We take a regional train to La Spezia where we change platforms and await InterCity train 515. It arrives a few moments late, electric loco and ten coaches plus a dining car. We find our seats in coach 02, again a familiar quad of four facing. This train is quite dirty – seeing out the windows is not great and we will have some nice coastal running as we head south. Still the seats are comfy, and we make good time. Lunch in the older dining car is quite different – self service and a car with torn seats and tables. Still, the wine, sandwich and salad are good and the meal serves the purpose. We arrive in Rome on time, back in the big city and its crowds.
After our last couple of days, with more Rome sights (including the incredible Borgehse Gallery) – we are ready to return home. We also discover an older version of articulated tram and take a fun ride out of town and back. (photo)
Sunday, June 7 is the day as we taxi to Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci airport, check in with Air Canada and fly back home to Vancouver (via Toronto). It has been a great trip, we have seen and enjoyed a great deal, and the services of Tren Italia have served us well in our travels. The Railpass system is efficient and easy to use, and the services – as in most of Europe - frequent, on time and efficient.
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